Ever since the release of Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, I, along with many other iOS users, have been anxiously waiting for something similar to the facial recognition unlock feature that the Android phone has. Yes, it’s probably not the most secure method, but it’s damn cool and I want the option to have it. Well, with a new and improved app from developer Chris Simpson, that’s now a reality….

Around 1 year ago, Chris Simpson (who also goes by ‘Apocolipse’) released his truly impressive app ‘RecognizeMe’ on the BigBoss Repo for Cydia. The tweak uses the jailbroken idevice’s front facing camera to provide a new mothod of security for iOS: facial recognition. The app has just been bumped to version 2.0, and brings a plethora of new features and improvements.

The first release of the app was also the first ever facial recognition mod available for the iOS platform. Being a new app, it also experienced a slight lag when verifying a users face for unlocking. However, the developer has significantly improved the tweak, and has even made it available for all idevices with a front facing camera. You now have the option of either entering your passcode, or letting the mod do its magic and use your face as a biometric passcode. Version 2.0 adds an icon to your springboard that includes a training system to let the software know your facial features and provide the best results.

RecognizeMe has been updated to provide a much nicer and faster overall experience. Verison 2.0 brings:

-Core Image face detection added for devices running iOS 5. This vastly improves detection time which in turns improves overall recognition success rate and speed.-The addition of new animations to allow the user to actually see how the tweak recognizes your face.-Drastic speed improvements which was one of the problems with the first version.-Changes made to the facial recognition algorithm for better matching.-Improved clarity of incoming camera stream across all devices.-Added auto start on unlock feature, which negates the need to manually select to use the facial detection.-The obligatory UI changes and amendments.

The new and improved version of RecognizeMe is much faster and accurate than the previous version and is really worth trying out. It’s now available through Cydia on the Big Boss repo for $2.99.

RecognizeMe 2.0 is a commercial package and is available in Cydia now on the Big Boss repository at a cost of $2.99. You’ll obviously need your idevice to be jailbroken in order to use this tweak. If you haven’t already, you can check out our easy to use Jailbreak Wizard to help guide you through the jailbreak process. Also check out our App Reviews for other awesome jailbreak tweaks, or head over to the forums to see how other iPD members are modding their idevices.

Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to be the first to hear about breaking iPhone news, tips, hacks, and more!